The prior art for such gas centrifuges is typified in German Pat. No. 1,071,593 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,925. The basic concept consists of a thin walled cylindrical shell, with enclosed top and bottom, that rotates at high speed. It is the centrifugal force and associated counter current flow pattern of the secondary rotary motion (thermally or mechanically induced) that provides the effective field for the separation of gas mixtures. The thin shell is driven as the rotor of an induction motor, which has the advantage that no mechanical torque must be transmitted to the rotor by external means. To allow continuous flow of the enriched and stripped gas the axis is a stationary arrangement of concentric tubing. This inner axis thus provides a means by which the unseparated gas can be introduced into the rapidly rotating central portion, also it is the means by which the components of the heavier and lighter gas may be removed. Attached to the stationary inner axis is a stationary stagnation arm extending across the top of the inner portion of the rotating cylinder. The purpose of this arm is to stimulate the necessary secondary flow in the device, which has a counter-current pattern, and to serve as a duct for the removal of the heavier component of the separated gas. The lower surface of the centrifuge rotates, and there are ports in this lower surface that permits the exit of the lighter gas, which is then picked up by a stationary ducting arm that leads back along the axis to the top of the device. The inner cylinder is attached to the stationary axis by suitable rotating seals, that, at high enough rim speeds, almost become superfluous due to the absence of gas in the inner region. The housing of the centrifuge is stationary, and can be constructed, as in the above mentioned German and United States patents, so that the rotation of the cylindrical shell serves to pump out any exhaust gas that may have diffused into the electric drive section of the device. The detailed balancing and adaptations for stability are standard, and some are described in the above mentioned German and United States patents.
An important drawback associated with previous ultracentrifuges is the marked decrease in flow profile efficiency with increasing rim velocity. Moreover, the vacuum core region increases with increasing rim velocity, and this region makes no contribution to separative power. It is the purpose of the present invention to solve, in part, these problems, and in such a manner that the device will be extremely simple, low cost, and easy to mass produce.